


Turn Back Time

by DLanaDHZ



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-10
Updated: 2008-12-10
Packaged: 2017-11-21 19:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/601454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DLanaDHZ/pseuds/DLanaDHZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Harry’s away in Germany, a tragic incident befalls Draco. Desperate to fix it, Harry goes back in time to save Draco and an un-started relationship. But in the end, can Harry really change the future?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Demise

Harry tapped his candy quill thoughtfully. He'd met with the goblins here in Germany about the humans stealing their gold. The problem had been resolved with a simple summoning spell and a stern scolding to the goblin in charge of keeping the gold hidden from human eyes, but that wasn't much to write in a report. Originally, the Ministry of Magic had thought the problem was being caused by some prank wizards or something of the like, and since Harry had nothing else to do... he volunteered to take up the position.

Now it turned out to be caused by simple neglect? Harry knew it wasn't wise to get on a goblin's bad side, but he couldn't help himself. He'd yelled so loudly at that goblin that all the goblins in the surrounding wood had come to see if it was well deserved. Luckily they were on Harry's side, or he could be dead by now... or seriously hurt. Oh. Perhaps he shouldn't put that in the report.

"Upon arriving, the goblins in charge of the Geldwarter bank were questioned as much as they would allow. The problem was discovered to be the act of muggles stealing gold from their mine shaft vaults, which shouldn't even be accessible to muggles even if they dug for them. The goblin in charge of checking the defensive spells to distract muggles was interrogated and reprimanded, as he deserves.. Ah. Scratch that last side comment... A simple summoning spell returned the gold to the bank. All crisis has been averted," Harry said aloud.

His actual writing quill spun a little as it wrote down his report. A quick quotes quill was wonderfully handy when not in the hands of a snippy gossip columnist. God. He was so glad that woman had been fired. She was so useless and false. Harry had been so happy when Shacklebolt had fired her that he actually sent the man a Christmas present despite working for him, which made the act a little less acceptable. They were still friends though... sorta.

Harry nodded. That was enough of a report. Shacklebolt was looking forward to every one of Harry's reports. He said they were helping to 'shape' the new ministry so it wouldn't become the corrupt place it had been in the past. Harry hoped the minster didn't mind his little... distraction of an assignment. This was a rather stupid problem.

Harry sighed and folded his report form up. He slid it into his bag, the moleskin pouch he got from Hagrid seven years ago during what should have been his seventh year at Hogwarts, and looked up at the sky. It was beautiful over here, but the Prophet said there was rain over in England, and so did Hedwig II if her slightly damp feathers meant anything. Harry wondered how Draco was holding up in this weather.

Draco Malfoy, heir to possibly the largest fortune in the wizarding world... even after the fall of Voldemort and his father's imprisonment. Draco Malfoy, an auror in Harry's part of the section who found most of the work he did rather boring or slightly scary because he knew some of the wizards he was catching. Draco Malfoy, one of the only auror to have never killed anyone... ever. Draco Malfoy, one of only three guys Harry Potter has ever had a crush on... and this time, he had it bad.

Crush one, Oliver Wood. Strong, athletic, funny, quidditch know-it-all, captain, teacher, friend. Cute. Crush two, Cedric Diggory. Strong, athletic, respected, handsome, popular, skilled, quidditch buff, rival, companion, friend. Crush three (and here's where it gets interesting), Draco Malfoy. Strong, not as athletic, respected more because of fear or anxiety, not particularly a people person, quidditch seeker, always mean to Harry at school, barely talks to Harry at work, starting to scarily resemble his father, skilled in the dark arts, classmate, rival, colleague.

Only a few people knew about Harry's interest in Draco - Harry's odd and completely unexplainable crush. Hermione and Ron knew, of course. They took it rather well. Ron punched him in the nose at first though for not telling him sooner. It was so strong a punch that Harry actually had to go to Madam Pomfrey for fixing. He told her he'd tripped on some debris. Luckily they had still been at Hogwarts when he told them. Then he got the impression that Luna knew too. She was just oddly perceptive on some things.

Sirius had known about all three of Harry's crushes before he died. Dumbledore always gave him that knowing look so he had to have known. Other than that, the only person who knew because Harry had told them was George Weasley. So that meant Harry told Hermione, Ron, Sirius, and George. People who probably knew were Luna and Dumbledore. Harry didn't think he was forgetting anyone.

Harry checked his watch and grimaced. He was behind schedule. Darn it. He stood up from his chair and dusted himself off. That's when he suddenly became aware of another person near him. Harry turned around quickly and smiled. Speak of the devil.

"Luna! What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping forward to hug her. Luna shied away. She kept her gaze down and her hands clasped. "Luna? What's wrong?"

"Harry... Something's happened back home... at Gringotts," she said. Her voice was saddened... but somehow it didn't seem like she was sad personally. It was more as though she were sad for... for Harry. Instantly, Harry's mind jumped to Draco.

"What? What happened?" Harry asked, taking another step toward her. Again, she shied away.

"He's dead, Harry," she murmured. "Draco Malfoy is dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geldwarter: German translation of Money Keeper. I made this place up, though Gringotts does do business all over the world... So we'll just consider this as a branch of Gringotts.
> 
> Hedwig II: you understand the need for this if you've read book 7.


	2. The Funeral

The next five hours were blurry and quiet. Harry remembered telling Luna to take him back, to wherever he needed to be to find answers. He remembered people telling him the details....and he remembered Draco. His hair was stained with blood that hadn't come off in the clean up. His pale face was even paler, almost see through. He body was bruised down the left arm and back. A slash tore the clothing over his chest but barely grazed the skin.

"Instantly fatal," he remembered someone saying. Harry was sure the entire room could tell how he felt now. The way Draco's face was blank was just like the expression Draco wore at work when he sat against the back wall and pretended to sleep. The way Harry stepped up to the body, laying on a bed at Saint Mungo's, everyone must be able to see. The way Harry went to touch the body but resigned himself to holding the bed, they must all be connecting the dots. The way Harry bit back the tears just like when Sirius died... only worse, yes... Everyone must know by now.

"...went to stop a rampant dragon at the bank," someone was telling him. "He almost had it but..."

"...tossed him around a bit.... tail caught him..... Chinese Fireball, Hungarian Horntail mix....hit the wall pretty hard..... instantly fatal."

Instantly fatal.... instantly.... no time to think about the pain... no time.... to.... to...

"What do we do?" Harry asked. "He was an auror.... what do we do?"

"Harry?" Hermione's voice registered. "You're not suggesting we kill the -"

"No!" Harry barked. "I meant about the... the funeral! Does he get something special? He was... a good auror."

Hermione frowned. Everyone was so quiet that Harry didn't know how many people were there. As far as noise went, it was just him and Hermione. Someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll get a special ceremony, Harry. He'll get an medal. It's okay," it was Percy. Harry nodded. If Percy said it was so, it would probably happen. He had the new minister's ear these days.

"It's okay, Harry. It's going to be alright....." but the voices were fading away. He couldn't hear them anymore. All he could do was stare at Draco's pale face and brush the hair out of his eyes.

"Hey, Potter, are you alright?"

Harry's head snapped up. The sound of fireplaces roaring to life surrounded him. He saw the bright flames letting their passengers out in a timely manner. Businessmen of all ages greeted each other on the lifts. The magnificent golden sculpture and fountain of the ministry of magic glistened in the background.

"Potter, I'm talking to you," the person spoke again. Harry braced himself and looked to his right. There was Draco Malfoy, standing tall and impatient. He regarded Harry like he was an idiot, as usual.

"Draco?" he asked. Draco scoffed.

"Yea. We're both late for work and you're standing in the middle of the hall like you're possessed. Are-You-Okay?" he asked, the question stressed like Harry was a retarded child.

"Y-Yeah," Harry nodded. "I was thinking about the cases piling up down in the office," he explained as they began to walk. "I was just deciding to take that goblin case over in Germany when you came up."

"The goblin case? You know it's all a bunch of coswallop, Potter! What kind of idiot are you? Are you THAT bored?" Draco asked as they stepped onto the lift. Harry didn't even have to say where they were going. Somehow, the lift always knew.

"Yeah," Harry laughed. "I guess I am."

Draco looked at him like an idiot while he laughed. Harry laughed as his body was overwhelmed by a great sadness. Then the tears started. Then he was back in the hospital, standing by Draco's bed, unable to stop his silent tears.

He was almost alone now. Even without hearing them in the first place, Harry knew they were all gone. He bet only Hermione was left, if any at all. Harry fell down onto one knee, unable to support himself anymore.

'God, Draco..... Why are you such an idiot? Taking on a dragon all on your own? A fireball and horntail mix?! Draco, you idiot!' Harry yelled in his head. He wanted to yell out loud, but he didn't want to draw them all back.

A hand ghosted over Harry's shoulder before settling on it. Harry started, shocked. He looked up at who was watching him cry like he'd never cried before. George.... George Weasley was there, kneeling beside him.

"Harry.... It's okay... I know how you feel," he whispered. Harry nodded, blinking to try and stop the tears. "They wont stop, Harry. They wont ever stop," George murmured, looking at the floor.

Harry sniffled and grabbed a hold of George. He buried his face into George's chest and cried. Yes... George would understand. The older Weasley twin stroked Harry's hair and didn't show any signs that he found a twenty-four year old auror crying into his chest at all awkward or weird. Yes, George would understand. He probably went through something even worse when Fred died.... Yes, only George...

"George, I don't want it to hurt," Harry choked out. "I've had enough pain for one lifetime, haven't I?"

"I'm sorry, Harry.... I'm sorry," George whispered harshly, pulling Harry tightly to him. That's when Harry felt it. Something metallic and round was poking Harry through the pocket on George's shirt. It hurt just enough to slightly stop Harry's tears and to let him concentrate on that instead of Draco.

"George... what's in your pocket?" he asked through sniffles and a slightly raspy voice. George pulled back.

"I'm sorry, Harry. It's a really bad idea," George said. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out.... a time turner.

"George-!" Harry gasped. Was George saying he should -?

"Listen to me, Harry. Don't use this unless you see no other way. Time turners aren't guaranteed. Things can go horribly wrong. Seeing him die twice wont make it any better. Please... wait until at least after the funeral before using it. I want you to be sure. Last resort, Harry. Last resort," George stressed. He stood up and dangled the time turner in front of Harry.

Harry held out his hands and relished in the cool feel of the metal as it dropped onto his skin. George had said 'seeing him die twice'.... but Harry hadn't seen Draco die... did that mean-?

"George," Harry called out. The red head paused by the door. " 'Seeing him die twice'? Did you use this too?"

George smiled sadly. "Not really.... but it's a complicated story."

The echoing sound of the closing door brought Harry back from thoughts of something George may have done or even thoughts of things he, himself, may yet do. The sound echoed off the walls and reminded Harry he was alone, even with Draco right beside him.

"Draco...," Harry breathed out, turning back to the body. "Draco-," his voice cracked as he took in the sight of the corpse again.

Those big blotches of purple and blue looked like preemptive signs of decay with their unhealthy backdrop of Draco's paper white skin. Harry brushed his hand over a particularly dark bruise, almost as if he expected that to make it go away. When his hand moved away and the color was still there, Harry's eyes filled with tears again.

"Damn," he cursed, leaning his head on the bed. "Damn it, Draco. You weren't supposed to die before I told you-!" he growled through grit teeth so he wouldn't yell. In his hand, he held the time turner so tightly that it left marks in his fist.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –

It was raining. How fitting. The only problem with the rain was that it wasn't raining over the right area. The funeral was next to Hogwarts, a place Draco had once revealed to Harry as the only place he felt he could be accepted. At home, Draco had said, he was always under scrutiny from his father and even from his mother, who was always trying to please her husband. At home, there was even more pressure to be a dark wizard.

"It was always like that," Draco had revealed, sitting in his own chair but leaning against Harry's desk. "Dad was always trying to convince me to be evil. Even after everything had happened... dad just couldn't completely accept the fact that it was being called the 'muggle-born's world'. Said it was rubbish and disgusting. You'd think he'd learn his lesson..."

Here Draco had paused and glanced at Harry, who was listening while trying to write a report. His report wasn't going so well because of it.

"If it hadn't been for..... that I would probably be the dark wizard being chased by you... instead of chasing them with you," Draco had admitted.

Harry didn't know what 'that' was, and Draco had never explained... not once in the few times they talked about themselves. Harry wished now that he'd asked. There were so many things about Draco he didn't know. Had Draco thought anything of him? Had Draco liked the gift Harry got him last Christmas, when he lied and said he'd accidentally gotten two of them so he gave one to Draco?

"Potter!"

Harry had heard that call just before he left for Germany. He'd turned to see Draco leaning against the door. Harry had smiled but Draco... Draco hadn't said anything. Even when Harry motioned for him to continue, Draco just turned away and went back to his desk. What had he been trying to say?

It didn't matter now. Still, the rain was only over Hogsmade, not over Hogwarts. Harry wished it would rain over him now, so he could cry without ever-watchful eyes. Then he could mourn the death of his love that had never begun. He would never know how Draco felt now. He had no time left to ask questions. Draco was gone.

As the ceremony came to a close, it was time for everyone to walk by the casket for one final goodbye. As the people lined up, Harry counted who was here. Hermione and Ron stood together near the middle of the line. Luna was here, but she'd go to anyone's funeral if she knew them. All the Weasley's were here, though out of sorrow for Draco or out of pity for Harry... he wasn't sure. Professor McGonagall was here and seemed deeply, and honestly, upset for the loss. George kept glancing at Harry, nervous, unsure glances. Harry knew what he was thinking.

The time turner was hidden just inside his robes, hanging around his neck. Harry scanned the crowd for people he knew again. There weren't a lot of people to begin with. Some of the workers at the ministry were here. Some slytherin classmates were recognized and a few high ranking wizards Malfoy senior probably knew. The Hogwarts professors present were few, but all looked sad. The majority came out of politeness. The only ones who looked torn about it were Draco's parents, Professor McGonagall, and Harry. George looked pained, but Harry knew his source. He was worried. Narcissa Malfoy was inconsolable. She had to be restrained when her wailing reached new decibels and she tried to pull the body from it's casket. Lucius Malfoy held his wife off to the side and threw Harry a complex look that Harry couldn't define. Was it trying to say that Lucius blamed him?

Why? No... He deserved it. He didn't care if Lucius had good reasons to blame him or not. He wanted Lucius to blame him. Harry bit his lip. It was his turn to walk by, and Malfoy senior was watching. He could feel it... but he didn't care.

Harry dragged his hand down the coffin as he came to Draco's head. Harry leaned over the coffin and smiled. It was a bit sad, but it was a smile. Lucius's grip on his wife tightened angrily, though she didn't notice. Harry reached into his robes and pulled out a small figurine. It was a dragon figure, liquid green and gold.

"I remembered, Draco...," Harry whispered. "I remembered."

Tears pricked his eyes. He'd bought the dragon in Germany... a specific dragon figurine Draco had always wanted but had never been able to get. Made exclusively by the goblins of Geldwarter... Harry pushed the figure to his lips before setting it in the coffin right by Draco's hand.

When Harry moved on so the next person could pass by, he caught the look on Lucius Malfoy's face. It was surprise, perhaps a bit of understanding. It was a look Harry hadn't thought Malfoy Senior was capable of. Harry didn't give the man more than a moment's glance. Then he walked off on his own, away from the others and off to the edge of the forest.

No.. He didn't need Lucius Malfoy's pity and understanding. He wouldn't stay this way, everyone giving him those pitying looks. He was going back. He was going to save Draco. Harry whipped out a bundle of cloth from under his cloak - his father's invisibility cloak. He held it tightly under his arm and pulled out the time turner. Harry cursed under his breath. He didn't know exactly how to use this... not as well as Hermione at least. Was it one turn per hour?

"Harry!" George's voice called out. Harry shook his head, pushing George's voice away. "Harry, don't!"

But it was done. Harry had spun the time turner backwards... fast. He didn't even watch as time swam past him, rewinding back hours... days. He could only hope his roulette spin had sent him back far enough to save Draco... and not too far back to be of any use.


	3. The Second Chance

It was night time. Harry wasn't quite sure what day it was, but he was at Hogwarts... just like before. Draco's coffin was gone, as was the hole it would go into. Lights in the castle were going out. It must be light's out for students-.... Wait. That meant he had gone back at least five days! School let out for summer four days ago, but if students were still at Hogwarts at night, it had to be five days ago.

Harry smiled. This didn't prove much, but it did prove he'd gone back far enough. If tomorrow really was four days ago, then he had a day and a half to save Draco. He didn't know exactly when it happened, so he'd just have to stick around Draco as much as he could.

Without a second thought, Harry threw on his invisibility cloak and sauntered off the Hogwarts grounds. If he had the date right, this was the day Harry left for Germany. If he didn't, well the ministry was a great place to go to figure out the date. He'd recognize what was happening easily and pick out the date.

No sooner had he set foot off the grounds than he was whisked away to the ministry's halls. Of course one couldn't simply apparate into the ministry of magic. Harry had to use a door of some sort like everyone else. After working there for 7 years, Harry knew every way into the workplace. Today, Harry used a door that opened onto a street of London. It was sort of like The Leaky Cauldron. You couldn't see the door unless you were a wizard and knew it was there.

After he got in, Harry knew he'd been right about the date. There he was... Harry Potter, standing in the center of the ministry's busiest hall, was staring off at the golden statue of a wizard whose wand was spirting out water. Harry tried to remember how staring at the golden statue had made him think of the goblins in Germany, but he failed. Then he counted to three.

One...

Two...

Three...

"Hey, Potter, are you alright?" Enter Draco. "Potter, I'm talking to you!"

"Draco?" Harry asked. Yes. It had been odd for Draco to walk up to him so simply, as if it were commonplace, and check up on him.

"Yea. We're both late for work and you're standing in the middle of the hall like you're possessed. Are-You-Okay?" the beautiful blonde asked. Harry wanted to hug him till he couldn't breathe. He already missed Draco's taunting, annoyed voice. But to do anything to Draco now would no doubt cause the blonde to freak out and then Harry would be caught and restrained and he would throw off the universal balance of... well, everything.

"Y-Yeah," Harry from this time nodded. "I was thinking about the cases piling up down in the office," he explained as they began to walk. Harry under the cloak had to walk quicker than he remembered just to keep up with them. "I was just deciding to take that goblin case over in Germany when you came up."

"The goblin case? You know it's all a bunch of coswallop, Potter! What kind of idiot are you? Are you THAT bored?" Draco asked as they stepped onto the lift.

"Yeah," the 'real' Harry laughed. "I guess I am."

Harry stepped onto the lift and stood as far from himself and Draco as possible. He spent the ride staring at the man he'd just seen dead a few moments ago. Oh, Draco...

"-and if you go, I shall find myself without a soul to nark on. You can't go, Potter. That's that," he heard Draco decide as though his word would keep Harry there.

Actually, it was odd it hadn't. The last time Draco had pulled such a stunt had been when Harry had wanted to take a vacation to check on the Dursley's and maybe go to a beach with the Weasley's, who - if he'd heard right - had never been to one. But Draco had pulled a similar complaint, about having no one to talk to, and Harry had moved his plans down a week to when Draco would be gone as well and couldn't complain about him leaving. This time, perhaps it had been the word 'nark' that had kept him from giving in to Draco's demand.

"Draco," the real Harry said as they stepped off the lift onto floor two, "I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find someone else to bother for a day or two."

The Auror headquarters was akin to a muggle office. Cubicles. Draco leaned on the first one and sighed as he looked out over the other cubes.

"Yes," he sighed. "Why ever would I have an issue finding someone to bug in such an entertaining atmosphere?" he asked sarcastically, but with drama and feeling.

Harry rolled his eyes and went into his designated cubicle. He checked the posters on his walls, which magically tacked themselves up in order of which ones were considered more important. All the big time ones had X's over their faces or somewhere nearby. This meant Harry, or someone else, had taken care of it. All available missions right now were small things. Harry pulled the goblin document off the wall and scanned it. It had only been on the wall for two days. The goblins shouldn't be too angry.

A chair rolled into his cubicle, right up against Harry's. The blonde sitting in this new chair didn't seem to care that his presence made it impossible for Harry to sit down.

"If you don't move, I'm going to sit on your head, Malfoy," the real Harry threatened. Harry smiled under his cloak. Oh. The beautiful moments of easy joking, light flirting, and the hum drum of day to day life... it was cute, but how long until he left?

"Potter, you're not that talented," Draco countered suavely, but he moved over enough for Harry to sit down. Harry slowly sat down in the corner so he wouldn't bother the other two until the time was right.

Time passed slowly. Draco drummed his fingers on his knees and stared off at the high ceiling while Harry scribbled down some information he had overdue or might need on this goblin trip. Finally, almost a half an hour later, Harry got up and headed to leave. On the way out, he ruffled Draco's hair like a kid's. Draco grumbled and ran his fingers through his hair. He drummed his fingers two more times. Harry waited patiently under his cloak.

"Potter!" Draco called. He jumped up and stood in the aisle. Harry turned around and smiled encouragingly at the blonde.

'Tell me,' Harry begged from under the cloak. 'Tell me! What were you trying to say?'

But, just as has happened before, Draco turned back around and sat back down in his chair... in Harry's office. Harry waited until he heard the lift leave. Then he took a deep breath.

"Draco," he whispered. The blonde looked around cautiously. "Draco, promise not to freak out?" Harry asked. Draco leaned out into the hall and saw Harry was gone and no one else was within listening distance. Then the pureblood male nodded.

Harry slipped the cloak off and let it fall to the floor. Draco's eyes widened. He covered his mouth so he wouldn't 'freak out' about seeing Harry here in the office wearing different clothes than the Harry he just saw leave. When Draco leaned back so far in his chair that it fell over, Harry had to cover his own mouth so he wouldn't let out any escaping giggles.

The noise caught someone's attention. Harry quickly slipped the cloak back on and stayed crouched on the floor. As Draco groaned in pain and made sure he hadn't broken anything, two other wizards ran down the aisle and to the doorway. At first they looked worried, but then they saw it was just Draco on the floor and calmed.

"What are you doing in Harry's office?" one asked with a smile.

"And on the floor, no less," the other added, obviously finding the sight funny.

"None of your business," Draco bit out. "Now bugger off, you prats, before I hex you both into Saint Mungo's."

Harry didn't know if it was because of Draco's growling threat or because it had become uninteresting, but the two wizards shrugged and hurried back to their work. Harry recognized them, but not by name. When they were long gone, and Draco had reset his chair, the blonde wizard searched the office for the mysterious Potter that had startled him.

"Where are you, you polyjuice drinking imposter?" Draco growled softly.

"I'm not an imposter," Harry argued. "And I'm not coming back out again until you take you hand off your wand."

Draco narrowed his eyes. It was obvious he didn't believe Harry, but he did release his wand. Standing tall, Draco was almost taller than the cubicle walls. Harry knew it would be the same for him if he stood up... but no one would be able to see, so it was safe. Harry stood up and took the cloak off. Then he hung the cloak over his arm.

"If you're not an imposter then who the hell are you supposed to be?" Draco asked, still glaring... especially now that he had someone to glare at.

"Harry Potter," Harry announced like it was obvious. Draco clenched his fists.

"What a bloody liar!" he exclaimed while still keeping his voice soft enough for only the two of them to hear. On that thought, why wasn't Draco yelling normally if he didn't believe Harry? Shouldn't he be trying to catch other people's attention? "I just saw Potter leave not 5 minutes ago!"

"I'm not lying!" Harry replied in the same tone and decibel - just loud enough to make his point without drawing attention. "Look, Draco."

Harry wanted to save Draco, so he had to be around him... but Draco didn't trust him as the real Harry Potter. He had no choice... so Harry pulled out his time turner and held it up so Draco could see what it was.

"A... a time-turner?" Draco asked, shocked. Apparently that hit him hard enough to make him a believer. "Wh-what? What are you using a time-turner for?"

How should he reply? Honestly? Should he tell Draco what happened?

".... Someone very special and important to me died... or will die two days from now," Harry explained.

"Bullshit," Draco growled, glaring again. "Why would you come back so far if it doesn't happen for two days?"

Harry adopted a shocked expression. Then he thought back to exactly how he'd spun the time-turner. He shrugged, and Draco stumbled back a step, not expecting such a nonchalant answer.

"I was crying and upset when I spun it... and I don't really know how to use it. In all honesty, I just sort of spun it backwards as fast as my trembling hand could manage, and I popped out in this time," again Harry was being brutally honest.

This time, Draco didn't respond. Harry could see his thought process, or some of it. He was probably trying to imagine who Harry would be so desperate to save that he'd be too upset to properly use a time-turner... or perhaps he was just trying to imagine Harry upset to the point of tears. Harry hardly ever cried... even when people around him were dying. He held them back or just got really angry. To have Harry be moved to tears was probably a foreign concept to the Malfoy heir.

"Anyway... Since I have two days, and I just left for Germany, I thought I'd hang out with you until the date right's itself," Harry explained. "I'll be back by the third day anyway. See? Now you have nothing to complain about. You'll have someone to annoy for the whole time I'm gone."

This seemed to strike a note with Draco - a final blow to prove he was actually Harry. Draco looked his superior from head to foot and back up. He looked like Harry, talked like Harry, acted enough like Harry - though maybe a bit happier, and - here Draco leaned a little closer to Harry and breathed deep - Draco supposed he smelled like Harry enough. Draco leaned away from Harry again and crossed his arms.

"Alright then. If you came back to save someone so important, shouldn't you be upset right now? They musta just died for you. Time-turners can only go back so far," he pointed out, sitting down in his chair again.

"I have a second chance, Draco," Harry replied, setting himself down slowly into his own chair. He never took his eyes off the youngest Malfoy. "I can make things right."

Draco watched Harry for several moments. Something must have seemed interesting there, because it wasn't a cold or suspicious look he was giving Harry. It was one of curious, innocent wonder. Harry was smiling softly. His heart felt as though it would burst. Draco was here, breathing. Harry never thought he'd miss seeing the way Draco's breathing made his chest move through his tight black shirts, half hidden under robes. He never thought he'd miss the way Draco's hair fell around his face, his ears, and lined the back of his neck. He never thought he'd miss the way Draco sneered at him or just stared; the way Draco's cheeks would seem more sunken when he was angry beyond belief or simply covering fear with such an anger, and the way they were so fine and soft - like a china doll's - when he was smiling or staring with interest.

No... Harry never thought he'd miss these things so much that seeing them again would make his heart just ache. Draco was watching him, confused as to why Harry smiled so delicately... and Harry knew it was because he feared he may break in half if he let it all out... and this was enough...

Yes... enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Chapter 4 - The Ever Watchful Gaze
> 
> "Will you stop it?" Draco snapped in a whisper. Harry raised a curious eyebrow.
> 
> "Stop what? I'm just sitting here," he replied.
> 
> "Exactly."
> 
> This caused Draco to blush again, much to Harry's delight. It wasn't dark, but because of Draco's skin tone it was obvious again. If Harry were to blush the same way, no one would notice because it would blend in with his skin.
> 
> "You're so full of shit," Draco accused without looking at Harry. "And you're very distracting. Just sit in the corner or something, and I'll be done soon."
> 
> Harry laughed at that.
> 
> Draco stepped up to Harry, probably not knowing just how close he was. Harry's breath stopped and his heart thrummed loudly in his own ears. Draco held out his hand for Harry to take. When Harry's hand slipped from under the cloak, Draco grabbed it and they apparated away.


	4. The Ever Watchful Gaze

Draco leaned on his desk, scribbling furiously on a paper regarding the hearing of a wizard he'd taken down last week. Draco's brow creased in annoyance, and he scribbled faster. He had a hard time writing one particular sentence and rewrote it three times, though each time it said the same thing.

Finally, Draco put his quill in it's bottle and smacked his hand down on the table. The witch in the cubicle next to him gasped in shock but didn't come to investigate. Draco raised his gaze and locked eyes with a particularly unaware green eyed male. He was unaware because he seemed completely unfazed by the fact that Draco was giving him a death glare.

"Will you stop it?" Draco snapped in a whisper. Harry raised a curious eyebrow.

"Stop what? I'm just sitting here," he replied. Draco held the table tightly.

"Exactly. You've been sitting there staring at me for three hours now! It's driving me insane!" Draco complained.

"Why?" Harry asked innocently. He leaned back in his chair and watched Draco seethe. Yes. It was true. Harry and Draco had moved to Draco's office across the hall where Draco began to work for the day, and Harry distracted him unintentionally by watching how he moved when he worked. Apparently two hours of staring was too much.

Still, Draco hadn't answered the question yet and even seemed to be questioning his own anger about it. Draco's body softened up and he adopted a puzzled look on his face. Why had he been angry about Harry staring at him? That's what Harry read in that look.

"Draco?" Harry called the blonde's attention back to him. "Why?" he asked again when he locked gazes with the blue-gray eyes of his love.

Draco averted his eyes almost instantly and took to staring at the place where Harry's cloak made his legs invisible. He shrugged. Well, one problem was solved. Draco wasn't angry anymore. But that still didn't answer a few questions.

"Draco?" Harry asked, catching a quick glance up from the blonde. "What were you trying to tell me before I left?"

"What?" Draco asked, obviously not following Harry's thought process.

"When I left for Germany... you called to me and made me stop walking, but then you didn't say anything. You just turned back into my cubicle. What were you going to say?" Harry clarified.

Again, Draco went silent. He drummed his fingers on the table three times, and Harry didn't interrupt. He waited silently, patiently. Draco was dead when he came back. Right now, Harry was content watching Draco move. He was in no hurry to get to the day of the death. Draco glanced up at Harry twice. His body became stiffer, showing he was feeling Harry's unending stare again.

"Malfoy!"

Draco flinched so badly that his chair almost fell over again. Harry was under his cloak and out of the chair as fast as was possible. Then a stock of red hair entered their view. George. George Weasley had come to pay Malfoy a visit.

"What do you want, Weaselby?" the blonde barked. Harry supposed George sort of deserved it for scaring them both out of their wits.

"I was lookin for Harry. Have you seen him?" George asked, appearing to not have noticed Draco's stiffness nor any sign of Harry under his cloak.

"Not since he left for Germany nearly four hours ago, no," Draco replied in annoyance. "Why?"

George shrugged. "Just thought he might be interested in going to the beach with me and my family this weekend. You could come too if you wanted. I'm sure Harry would like the company."

"Why would Potter want me to-," Draco began. Harry was shocked and started to move to motion for George to just shut up, but then remembered he was invisible and it would do no good. "-come to the beach with him when he has the entire hand-me-down gang to hang out with?"

"Oh... You never know," George said with a shrug and a little wink. Then he laughed a little as he left, saying something about using an owl. Harry exhaled quietly, glad that the traitor was gone. He was so close to just outright telling Draco, wasn't he?

"Potter," Draco's voice was terse and suspicious. Harry tensed. Oh. Draco had picked up on something hadn't he? The boy with the scar pulled off his invisibility cloak and smiled.

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

"Answer the question," the young Malfoy heir ordered, leaning on his desk and gazing at Harry as though he could read him like a lie detector.

"Why would I want to bring you to the beach when I have the Weasley family?" Harry asked. "Well, we're friends too, aren't we? I mean... I think of us as friends. I don't know about you, but anyway... It's not secret that I want you and the Weasleys to get along. Otherwise, I wont be able to drag you around to Christmas and birthdays and-"

"Harry, you already do that," Draco reminded him. Harry laughed.

"Oh, well I guess I do. But you never seem to be enjoying yourself, so you need to loosen up around them. One extra outing wont hurt anyone, right?" Harry asked, hoping his little half-lie wouldn't be discovered. It was all true, but it wasn't the total reason Harry would invite Draco to ... well, anything!

Then Harry paused a moment. He looked at Draco as though trying to find something in his hair or on his face. Draco blushed. Oh, he knew what Harry was reacting to, didn't he?

"You called me by my first name," Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, so what of it? We're friends, aren't we?" Draco asked, looking as far away from Harry as he could without turning his chair. His blush was obvious against his pale skin and creamy hair.

Harry smiled.

"Yeah. Thanks," he said, dissolving back into his quiet revering stare. Draco didn't seem to mind anymore... that or he was too embarrassed to talk right now. Harry suspected it was the latter because of the blush that stretched perfectly over Draco's perfect nose and brightened his soft cheekbones, fading down into the cheeks.

It was almost another half an hour before Draco set his quill down again. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Harry had to concentrate so as not to sigh in the rush of emotions he felt from that simple action. Then Draco picked up his quill again, now fresh with ink, yet he wrote nothing. His quill hovered as though he were thinking.

"It makes me nervous," Draco muttered. Harry listened closely, but said nothing. "When you stare at me, I get nervous... and before you ask why, it's because I care what you're thinking. And if you're staring at me, you're probably thinking about me... and I get nervous because I don't know what about me it is that your thinking. I suddenly have to move slower or concentrate on everything I do so I don't mess up, and I worry more about if my clothes are out of place or there's something on my face... because I don't know why you're staring or what you're staring at."

Draco seemed put off and saddened by the idea. Harry smiled softly and moved his chair right up to Draco's desk. He leaned on it and made sure Draco could see his smile.

"Most of the time... I'm just staring at you because you're an interesting person to watch," he admitted. This caused Draco to blush again, much to Harry's delight. It wasn't dark, but because of Draco's skin tone it was obvious again. If Harry were to blush the same way, no one would notice because it would blend in with his skin.

"You're so full of shit," Draco accused without looking at Harry. "And you're very distracting. Just sit in the corner or something, and I'll be done soon."

Harry laughed at that. He almost forgot to keep his voice low and quickly covered his mouth to muffle the sound further. Draco shrugged as though shaking off his embarrassing thoughts or what Harry had said. The blush vanished quickly, and Harry did as he was told. In the corner, Harry could still watch Draco, but it was more like a portrait from over here. It was a scene Harry couldn't touch or alter.... It was nice.

– – – – –

Draco sauntered out of the auror's office. He stepped onto the lift and waved half heartedly at Neville Longbottom who had just stepped off. On a normal day, Draco would have ignored the brief hello and wave, but today was so odd already that he didn't even think about it. He just waved back. It wasn't until he registered the slightly shocked expression on Neville's face just as the lift closed and began to move that he realized what he'd done. Draco stared at the hand that had waved, almost as if it were someone else's arm. Somewhere to his right, a giggle sounded.

"Shut up, Potter," Draco grunted. He dropped his hand to his side and leaned back against the wall. Harry's hand set on his shoulder, though Draco couldn't see it. He could feel it well enough.

"Sorry. But that was good. You responded. People here actually like you, believe it or not. They just don't know how to approach you, cause you seem so distant all the time," Harry explained. "You should wave back more often."

"I didn't mean to wave back this time," Draco argued. "And anyway, why would I want to be friends with anyone here? We have nothing in common and... well I'm better than them!"

"Right," Harry said sarcastically, removing his hand. Draco frowned. "Because unlike you, they aren't human beings, wizards, or aurors."

Draco frowned deeper. "Interests, idiot. You knew what I meant."

"You should try the first name thing again. I liked it," Harry suggested, unable to stop the slightly snippy attitude he used whenever he responded to Draco being a stubborn idiot.

They lapsed into silence. Since Draco couldn't see him, Harry watched him again and tried to figure out what he was thinking. Draco's right fist kept clenching an unclenching, like Draco couldn't decide if he was angry or not. The left hand, the one nearest Harry, gripped tightly to a roll of parchment Draco was carrying. He was going to give it to a generic owl to send, but seemed to have decided it best to use his own. Otherwise, it would already be gone.

Harry wondered what Draco was thinking so tensely about. Draco's hair fell in wisps in front of his eyes. Draco hadn't cut his hair short, like his father would have liked. He kept it in a similar style and length as his last two years at Hogwarts. He no longer greased it, unless it was a special occasion and even then he didn't put as much in it. His excuse had been that the product he used to make his hair slick back like that made his hands feel like slime for several hours afterward. His mother disagreed - she used to put it in his hair for him when he was little -, but Draco wouldn't let her talk him out of it.

Harry liked the way Draco's hair fell freely now. It made it much more... touchable. It set him apart from Malfoy senior, who was struggling to keep people on his side at work and no longer had the position he used to hold, in a more physical way.

"Harry-," Draco began, as though he wanted to say something. Then he stopped. The lift had announced their arrival onto the main floor.

By watching Draco's hair shift and the way those gray eyes blinked, Harry must have lost track of just how long they'd been in the lift. It seemed like only a second had passed and the doors were already opening. A mass of wizards greeted them, and Harry watched Draco's stature become stiff and worried. Harry hardly had time to think about the hassle a crowd put on him staying hidden. Draco grabbed hold of him by the arm just above his wrist. Then he walked briskly off the lift, ripping Harry along with him.

By staying close and holding tightly to his cloak, Harry somehow managed to make it through the crowd without being discovered and only bumping into three people. Also amazing was that no one noticed how Draco's arm was a bit straighter than it would be were he walking without holding onto someone, and no one noticed how three of Draco's fingers were partially missing.

Draco slowed to stroll and released Harry's arm. That was a pretty good grab, actually... considering he had only a vague idea of where Harry might be standing. Harry looked at Draco and brought his arm up and held it where Draco had. It had been too tight a hold, but that had to show Draco cared... enough to keep Harry from being caught, at least.

"Thanks," he said, though he didn't think Draco understood how much he meant it.

"No problem," Draco shrugged as he headed for the door onto the street. He didn't even glance at the fireplaces. It would be too obvious if the fireplace ignited for someone who wasn't there or someone heard Harry call out where he wanted to go.

The crisp England air whipped past them as though trying to rip the cloak right off of Harry. Draco stepped up to Harry, probably not knowing just how close he was. Harry's breath stopped and his heart thrummed loudly in his own ears. Draco held out his hand for Harry to take. When Harry's hand slipped from under the cloak, Draco grabbed it and they apparated away.

When they appeared in their new location, Harry saw the Malfoy summer home, which Draco now owned and lived in. Draco stepped away from Harry and shrugged off his coat. He set the clothing on the coat rack by the fireplace and fixed his hair with his fingers. Harry let his cloak fall off, crumpling on the floor at his feet. He was watching Draco's back as its muscles flexed and moved. The length of his sleeves left the lower half of his arms exposed. It was an eerily similar shirt to....

A vision of Draco laying on that hospital bed flashed into his mind, then Draco in his casket... and the thought that Draco might never wake up again.... Harry shook his head. He tried to concentrate on how good it was to see the way Draco moved... just watching the small of his back.

Draco turned around to face Harry again and hesitated. He looked conflicted.

"Harry," he began, which must have taken most of that effort. "Why are... You're crying?"

Harry blinked and felt the tears. He quickly reached up to touch them and pulled his hand away in shock. When had those started? He'd been doing such a good job of not thinking about his sadness over the death today. When had it gotten so bad that he'd started crying again? Harry furiously wiped away his tears on his sleeve and tried to laugh them off.

"Sorry. I don't know where they came from. Don't worry about it. I'm alright," he assured the blonde. Then, in the time it took Harry to wipe once across his eyes, Draco had moved to Harry's side.

"Don't lie to me," he murmured out a scolding. The next movement Draco made was hesitant and shy, but it happened. He started to hug Harry, but then he recoiled and just put one arm around his shoulders, pulling Harry's head down into his own shoulder. "I hate it when you lie to me." and this was said with sense of somberness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Chapter 5 - The Secret Treasure Room
> 
> "Mr. Potter?"
> 
> It was like Harry had summoned them with a thought. There, standing just inside the room from the hallway, was a house elf.
> 
> "My name is Polly. I work for Master Draco. It's an honor to finally be in your presence, sir," she said.
> 
> The door under Polly's hand unlocked and swung open. The elf turned on the lights with a snap of her fingers and then happily beckoned him forward.
> 
> "What is all of this, Polly?" Harry asked.
> 
> "Master Draco's secret treasure," Polly explained.


	5. The Secret Treasure Room

Harry tossed his head back and hit the wall. With a groan, he repeated the motion four more times. He sighed in annoyance and looked at the bright, blazing fire sitting in the fireplace. It seemed to mock him with its warmth. Harry had been stupid so it was laughing.

'No,' Harry corrected himself. The fire wasn't laughing. He should try to think positively. The fire was being warm and welcoming, trying to make him feel better. That's why Draco had lit it, after all.

After Harry had stopped his short onslaught of tears, he'd convinced Draco he was fine. The Malfoy heir didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. Harry supposed he didn't seem like he was lying anymore, or Draco probably would've scolded him. That's when Draco had ordered Harry to stay, actually pointing to the ground as if Harry were a dog that needed to see the motion to understand the word. The blonde had left then. Harry would've followed him... if he'd known exactly where Draco had gone.

Harry sighed again, but this time in surrender. He couldn't keep blaming himself for Draco leaving... besides, he had to come home sooner or later, right? Come to think of it, Harry had never been inside Draco's house for more than five minutes before now. He'd been to the main house, but not this one - not for any period of time longer than how long it took Draco to grab something... and he was fast about it.

Was there something in the house, something about the house, that Draco didn't want Harry to know? Harry looked around him. Nothing seemed to be out of place. As one would expect from a Malfoy, the house was virtually spotless. It was pristine. Did Draco have a house elf?

"Mr. Potter?"

It was like Harry had summoned them with a thought. There, standing just inside the room from the hallway, was a house elf. She was taller than Dobby or Winky, but not by much - maybe an inch or so. Her ears curved out, sort of like wavy hair would do. Her nose was long, like most house elves, and her cheeks seemed stained rosy like a constant blush. She didn't wear a dirty pillowcase, but an overlarge gray t-shirt. Harry suspected that must have been Draco's from his school days, and it was actually supposed to represent silver and not gray.

"Yes?" Harry asked. She recognized him... but he hadn't been looking at her. How had she seen his scar? Or had she seen him in the newspaper and just guessed?

The house elf seemed a bit startled that he'd replied. She instantly bowed as low as she could while still standing. She wasn't nearly as jumpy as Dobby, nor nearly half as loud as Winky. So far, Harry liked her.

"My name is Polly. I work for Master Draco. It's an honor to finally be in your presence, sir," she said, her voice smooth and soft while still being high pitched.

"Pleasure to meet you, Polly," Harry replied. Here, he noticed a few things. One, Polly didn't start wailing about the kindness Harry showed her by calling it a 'pleasure' to meet her. She didn't start banging her head on the wall. All she did was giggle as the permanent blush on her face grew darker. Another thing Harry noticed was how she said 'Master Draco' instead of 'Master Malfoy' as would be more appropriate.

"Oh, you look even better in person, Mr. Potter! Your pictures do not do you justice," the little elf complimented. Harry smiled.

"Well, the ministry does have a tendency to take the shot from the wrong angle," Harry joked. Angle didn't really matter as much as the spell cast on the picture. That's why Harry sometimes appeared bigoted in the Daily Prophet whenever it suited the ministry's needs back during his years at Hogwarts.

Polly shook her head.

"No sir," she nearly squealed in delight. "The pictures from the Creevey boy!"

Harry felt both guilt and confusion over this response. Colin Creevey was the only picture maniac he knew with pictures of him... but Colin Creevey was also dead. Had Dennis taken up his brother's post as cameraman? And either way, how would Polly know about those pictures? Had she worked at Hogwarts?

"Colin. Yeah... He was a good kid. Did you used to work at Hogwarts, then?" Harry asked. He was glad to have someone to talk to while Draco was away, but the subject seemed to have turned sour. Now Harry was thinking about all those who died at the Battle of Hogwarts... dead people...

Polly shook her head, bringing Harry out of his stupor of thought. She beckoned Harry with her hand to follow her as she turned and began to walk slowly down the hall.

"No. Polly has never had the honor of being inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Master Draco has an extensive collection of pictures and clippings from his days at school. It makes Polly wish she could work in the castle... oh, but to leave the master alone would be too much to bear. Even though he gives Polly clothes at Christmas, Polly stays," the house elf admitted, a near dreamy tone to her voice.

Wow... Harry had never imagined Draco would be so nice an owner that any house elf would stay after being released from their binding contract to a wizard. Then Harry became filled with an excitement. Draco had a collection of clippings from school? Were they all going to be hideously anti-Harry clippings or would something nice find a spot among the pictures? If he had any Creevey pictures, then there was at least one good picture.

Polly raised her hand up to a door that stood right across from the room Harry knew as Draco's bedroom. The door under Polly's hand unlocked and swung open. The light was off inside, and Harry was instantly on guard - a defense after so many years. The elf turned on the lights with a snap of her fingers and then happily beckoned him forward. It was like a magical camera had exploded. Pictures were on every wall. Harry stepped inside slowly. It was like being flung back in time nearly 14 years.

Draco appeared to have pictures from every year of school and even some new clippings of Harry or him in their new jobs at the ministry.

"Where did he get all these?" Harry wondered aloud. "How?"

There were several pictures Harry recognized as Colin Creevey handiwork. A few were similar, but not as focused. These must be Dennis's. Then there were headlines from the prophet - including the one with Lockhart where Harry was posing like an idiot and trying to show off.... even though in real life, Harry had been shocked beyond speech and unwilling to be in the picture to begin with. Harry had his own wall dedicated to him in this menagerie of school photos. Most of them moved... some of them didn't.

"What is all of this, Polly?" Harry asked. As he scanned the pictures he found the image of himself was almost never paying attention to the photographer, so they must have all been candid shots - something Harry expected from Colin but not from enough people to get this many shots.

"Master Draco's secret treasure," Polly explained. "He told Polly only special people were allowed to know about it. That includes the master, Polly, and you Mr. Potter. Master Draco didn't say you were one of them, but you must be. You have a wall of your own, and you share one with the master."

Harry looked back at the elf, who was pointing at the wall adjoined to the 'Harry' wall's right. They were pictures of Draco and several other Slytherins - most of which Harry recognized but not by name. A few were in Azkaban now thanks to Harry and Draco... and the other aurors.

At first, Harry didn't understand how these pictures of Draco and his friends included Harry at all. Then he noticed it. There was lots of action going on in the background of every picture. Also in the background of every picture... was Harry. Harry with Ron and Hermione, Harry hurrying around in circles in the picture but heading to class in real life... Harry looked at Polly and wondered if the elf knew exactly what she'd pointed out.

Harry was in every picture on two of three and a half walls. Did Draco notice that? Did he know Harry was in the background of all those shots? He must know... that had to be why they were all on the same wall. And why did Draco have so many pictures of Harry on the wall? Was it even possible that Draco had liked Harry since they first met, and while Harry had still been developing his crush on Draco, Cedric, and Oliver?... While Harry had been struggling to prove he was a normal teenager with normal attractions to girls and that being 'the boy who lived' was only a part of who he was, had Draco been secretly crushing on him as well?

The other one and half walls in the room were cluttered with images of the Malfoy family, more Slytherin shots, pictures of the school or Quidditch practices of all four teams, and pictures of main events in their history at school. One in particular Harry lingered on was from the Yule Ball. Someone had snapped a shot of Draco in his dress robes. The Draco in the picture kept switching from being proud and spinning to show himself off to being bashful and trying to block his face.

Harry's fingers ran over that one. The Draco in the picture complained noiselessly about having his picture interrupted by fingers, but then he switched to trying to touch Harry's finger back.... and failing epically. Harry found it to be an amazing photo... not only because Draco looked gorgeous, but because he'd never seen Draco from the Yule Ball before. He wished he'd seen him then... Then he could have watched Draco smile and laugh like this picture in real life.

Something dropped to the ground with a low thud out in the livingroom. Harry's gaze snapped to the door. He rushed from the room and down the hall. Behind him, he heard the lock on the door click. Good Polly. My, she was devious on the inside. She knew Draco didn't want Harry to see all that and yet she'd shown him anyway.

Harry glanced around the corner of the hall to see what had fallen down in the livingroom. Draco stood there... well... sort of squatted there. He was trying to pick up a bag he'd dropped, but the other bag in his arms was making it difficult. Harry chuckled and grabbed the bag off the floor.

"Welcome home," he greeted, smiling warmly. Draco's mouth hung open, and he nearly fell over. Harry caught his hand and helped lift him to his feet. Harry laughed again.

"Stop laughing, Potter, or I'll take it all back," the blonde threatened. Harry raised a curious eyebrow and looked in the bag.

It was food - all of Harry's favorites to be exact. Harry didn't know how Draco remembered what his favorites were, but after seeing that room, he had a good idea how Draco learned them to begin with.

"Master Draco!" Polly exclaimed, rushing up to greet him. "How was your day? I have your tea prepared in the kitchen whenever you're ready."

"Morning, Polly. Thank you. I'll be there in a minute... Oh. Have you met Harry Potter?" Draco asked, motioning to Harry with his free hand. Polly nodded quickly.

"Yes. Mr. Potter is very kind... Did Master want Polly to get his groceries?" the house elf asked. Draco looked down at the food in his arms and then at the food in Harry's. He seemed to consider an idea and then nodded.

"Yes. Take the bags into the kitchen and make us some treacle fudge," Draco ordered, finally sounding like he was 'Master' after all. "And when you're done, prepare a room for Harry... And if anyone should come looking for me, tell no one Harry is visiting."

Polly nodded, bowing low. She seemed loyal enough, but a bit free spirited. She'd disobeyed Draco once already... but Harry hoped the order had been direct enough that she wouldn't be able to bend the rules on this one.

Then the bags in their arms lifted into the air and began to happily follow Polly into the kitchen and out of site. Harry chuckled gently. He felt Draco watching him, so he turned his smile from where Polly had vanished and aimed it at Draco. As had happened before, Draco stumbled back half a step, only this time he wasn't half squatting and in danger of falling.

"She's sweet," Harry complimented. "Though, I never imagined you to have such a cute house elf." Draco grunted.

"You mean, you never expected me to be a good owner... don't you?" he accused, catching Harry's little while lie. Harry shrugged innocently. Draco rolled his eyes and walked briskly to the kitchen.

As he entered, Polly appeared and took the coat right off his back. He had forgotten to take it off this time around. Good thing Polly remembered. She vanished instantly after the act was completed. Then the smell of freshly brewed tea met their senses. Harry guessed Earl Gray... but when he saw the tea, the bag beside it said 'Mandragora Root'. Harry's eyes widened. Draco picked up one of two cups and raised it to his lips. Harry watched with a shocked expression. The blonde seemed to notice him at the last minute. The cup stopped at Draco's lips.

"It's not just mandrake," he explained exasperated-ly. "It's also got some cinnamon and ... herbs in it. Mandrake alone would taste too bitter and sour.... It's supposed to help fight off illness and prolong life, plus it tastes good. I hate tea normally."

Harry's expression softened into a small smile. He stepped up to the tea and reached out for his own glass. As he stared at it, he noticed the murky tea, as all tea was murky water, did appear to be flavored with only cinnamon.

"And here I was worried you drank it out of spite for the way the mandrake saplings treated you in second year," he teased as he sniffed it. With a deep breath, he took a sip.... Hm... pleasantly cinnamon.

"As if, P... I mean, I'm not that callous!" Draco scoffed and then turned away from Harry to finish his tea. "Drink your tea. After the fudge, I'm going to bed."

Harry smiled. Yes... Draco had worked from late at night till this early hour. No doubt, he had to go back into work in a matter of four or five more hours. He'd probably be sleeping already if not for Harry's presence.

"You can go to bed now, if you want. I don't mind eating alone," Harry said.

"You think I got the food just for you?" Draco accused snappily. "As if, Potter. You're not that important."

"But I thought you only ate treacle fudge on special occasions," Harry countered. It was one of Harry's favorites, but Draco had expressed the desire to eat it on as few occasions as possible. Draco pressed his lips together so tightly they became a line.

"It is a special occasion," he grunted, setting down his cup and walking away. Harry quickly finished his tea, burning his tongue as he did so. A special occasion? What had he forgotten?

It wasn't Draco's birthday, or his own birthday. It wasn't Christmas, Valentine's Day, or any other holiday he knew of. It wasn't anyone's wedding or dating anniversary... especially no one Draco would congratulate. Could it be the birthday of someone in Draco's family? Perhaps a death day?... It wasn't Tom Riddle's death day... or Dumbledore's.

Harry followed Draco into the sitting room. The blonde was sitting on the couch, looking as regal and proper as he'd tried to be all throughout school. In front of him, Polly was setting down the tray of fudge for the two wizards to enjoy. Two glasses sat beside the tray, one on either side, and were filled with milk. Polly nodded to Harry and flashed him a smile before taking her leave.

"Draco... What is today's occasion?" he asked. It was bugging him. He was sure he'd feel stupid when he was told and maybe even a bit guilty.

Said blonde moved his arm out over the seat on his left in a motion that told Harry to sit down. Harry sat gingerly, not sure what was so special... or so important that Draco would become upset that Harry didn't remember it. Yes, Draco was either upset with him or thinking hard... otherwise, he wouldn't be so stiff and cold.

"Today," the Malfoy heir began, reaching forward and plucking a piece of fudge off the tray. He waited until Harry did the same. Then he cracked a small, teasing smile. In fact, it was close to the teasing sneers Harry had gotten throughout school.

"Today," he said again, "is the sixth anniversary of my working at the ministry of magic: auror division. The sixth anniversary of being on the side of Harry Potter: the boy who just wouldn't die."

Harry broke into a grin. Yes... he remembered that day. That was the day Draco had accepted him as an equal... as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Chapter 6 - The Undeniable Truth
> 
> "Stop it! God dammit, Potter! I know you were crying! I know you're upset! Stop acting like the poster boy of the emotionally indifferent!" the youngest Malfoy exclaimed.
> 
> "Why do you care so much, Draco?" Harry asked.
> 
> "But that doesn't mean things can't change," Harry declared in his whisper. In a whisper, it would be harder for Draco to hear the way this truth hurt him.
> 
> "Things have already changed, because you came back in time. But those things have already happened in your time...," Draco pointed out. "Harry I don't think you can save your important person. It just goes against everything... doesn't it?" Draco asked
> 
> "No, you don't understand. This one's different. This one wasn't supposed to die!"
> 
> "You loved them, didn't you?" Draco asked.
> 
> "Yeah..." Harry nodded slowly. "More than... I've ever loved anyone."


	6. The Undeniable Truth

Harry checked the clock. It was a little after ten in the morning. Draco would have to be at work by 12:30. The grace of Draco's clock, however, was that it didn't chime. It was a simple wall clock. Draco could oversleep easily. Harry's gaze drifted over the blonde. He hadn't changed his clothes at all. He'd simply laid down and fallen asleep, half under the covers. Polly had come in shortly after and fixed the blanket to completely cover him from the mid-chest down. Harry... Harry had come in seconds after Polly.

Now he sat, watching Draco dream. Draco's breathing never faltered in rhythm, even when his face changed expression. The steady rise and fall of his chest brought tears to Harry's eyes, but he didn't let them fall. Harry sat against the wall, his knee pulled up and hugged. Whenever he felt a tear trying to break free, he pressed his eye into his knee to stop it. No, he could not cry. This was not a trip back in time to cry over Draco's soon-to-be death.... this was a mission to stop the death altogether so there would be no need for tears at all.

As the clock's secondhand ticked on, Harry kept wondering how he could save Draco from his untimely death. Hexing a dragon into submission took ten skilled wizards when it came to a Hungarian Horntail... and this one was mixed with a Chinese Fireball. Could two extremely skilled aurors pull it off? Harry highly doubted it.

Harry's attention drifted over Draco's form on the bed. He watched as the blonde rolled onto his side and the covers fell off of him about an inch. Now he could see Draco's face in full, save for the slight bit covered by the pillow. Draco's blonde locks fell into his face but did not cover it. It was a cute touch, and Harry admired it. Draco looked like... like a hammock strung between two palm trees during a sunset. He looked peaceful and perfect: The way his hair was mussed from his rolling, the way his shirt was wrinkled and pulling down slightly on the right shoulder, the way his mouth stayed shut in a indifferent line until something in his dream made those slight lips part ever so much for a few brief, beautiful moments.

Harry found himself kneeling by the bed. He knew better than to try anything. Draco would feel it and wake. Then everything would be obvious and ruined. Still... those pictures.... Perhaps Draco wouldn't mind finding out Harry loved him, ached for him,... cried for him. Maybe Draco would understand the way Harry's heart had burst when he'd heard the news and seen the corpse... Maybe Draco would accept him and his painful love.

No. Even if Draco felt the same way, Draco couldn't know. If he knew Harry loved him, he'd put two and two together. He'd know Harry came back to save him... and he'd refuse Harry's help. He would push Harry's hand away and say it would never happen to him. Then Draco would go alone... and Draco would die.... again. But Harry wasn't going to let that happen... so Draco couldn't know. He couldn't find out....because that's what he'd do. Right?

Harry sat with his back to the bed and his knees pulled up. He leaned his head on his knees and took deep breaths. His eyes were filling up again, but he wasn't going to cry! He hadn't cried when Sirius died. He hadn't cried when Hedwig died... though he'd wanted to. He hadn't cried so many tears as he cried for Draco ever before. He'd never hurt so bad.... but that meant Harry had the ability to stop the tears. He had the concentration capable of putting off the sadness until a more proper moment... when the goal was over.

"Harry...," a soft voice broke through Harry attempts to hold back his tears. The tears froze and retreated. That was Draco's voice. Harry glanced over his shoulder. Draco's eyes were closed, but he'd definitely heard him say something, loud and clear with no hint of sleep.

"Yeah?" Harry asked back in a whisper.

"When people use time turners... aren't they just doing things that already happened?" Draco asked, his body not moving, not even his breath making sound.

Harry swallowed the lump that rose to his throat. He nodded his had, though Draco wasn't looking, and choked out a "Y-Yeah."

"But that doesn't mean things can't change," Harry declared in his whisper. In a whisper, it would be harder for Draco to hear the way this truth hurt him.

"Things have already changed, because you came back in time. But those things have already happened in your time...," Draco pointed out gently. Here he paused to let Harry see where this was going, to let it sink it. "Harry I don't think you can save your important person. It just goes against everything... doesn't it?" Draco asked, voice becoming matter-of-fact.

Harry shook his head wildly. "No," he grunted out, losing the whisper for that one word. "No. It will change. It has to change. It wasn't supposed to happen like that."

Oh no... the tears.

"Harry, listen to reason. You can't let yourself mourn someone who dies forever. You have to let yourself get over it. If you mourned every person in your life who has died... Harry, you'd fall apart at the seams," Draco tried. The tone in his voice showed Harry that Draco just wanted to help... and Harry had to admit that, yes, mourning the tons of people who had died on him would tear him to shreds. But this was different!

"No, you don't understand. This one's different. This one wasn't supposed to die!" Harry exclaimed, losing the whisper. He felt them running down his cheeks, slow but real.

Draco shoved himself up to a sitting position at the way Harry's voice had risen. He stared at the back of Harry's head and wondered... what was so special about this person... this one person...

"You... You loved them, didn't you?" Draco asked, and Harry missed the way Draco's voice peeked due to his determination to block out Draco's previous statements.

"Yeah..." Harry nodded slowly. "More than... I've ever loved anyone."

The room was silent for a time. Draco didn't move his position on the bed, and the sheets didn't shift or fall. Harry held so tightly to his legs that he feared they might break off. Then Harry leaned his head down and wiped his tears away with his pants. Still, no words were spoken. It seemed they were both trying to calm down some inner turmoil and had yet to find the words to express themselves in this situation.

When Harry was certain his heart would not explode when he spoke, he loosened his grip on his legs and pushed himself up off the floor and away from the bed. He dusted off invisible dirt and took a deep breath.

"They're not going to die, Draco. I'm not going to let them," he declared softly but determinedly.

"Harry-," Draco tried to speak again, but Harry interrupted him.

"You have work in about two hours. You should get some more sleep. I'll stop bugging you about all this. Sorry if I woke you," the brunette apologized. Then, without a word, he walked to the door and left Draco alone in his dark room.

Out in the kitchen, Harry sat on the counter. Polly had brought him a cup of Mandragora Root Tea, which Harry was beginning to find he fancied. The warmth of the cup felt great on his somehow cold hands. Cold like....like Draco's hands after he died. Harry shook his head.

It wouldn't happen. No matter what Draco said, it wouldn't happen... but maybe it would be best if he stopped shadowing Draco. Maybe he should just hang around Draco's office until the blonde came in for work and got the job about the dragon. That would be easier... that would be less painful, wouldn't it?

Harry closed his eyes and just waited. He cleared his mind and thought of absolutely nothing, the way Snape had taught him to do... sort of. The warmth of the glass seemed to fade as his hands warmed up to a normal temperature. He liked this temperature more.

Draco's bedroom door opened, but he wasn't sure if that meant Polly had gone in or Draco had come out. He'd left Draco in there, alone, about half an hour ago... perhaps Draco was done sleeping or uh... trying to sleep. Whatever the case may be after their slightly heated conversation.

"Harry," Draco's voice broke the silence of the kitchen. Harry opened his eyes and locked gazes with the blonde, showing no signs that he was depressed.

"Yeah?" he asked, keeping his voice light and normal. Draco frowned.

"You don't have to play that card, you know. I don't care if you're depressed or crazy or trying to disrupt the space/time continuum... which you are, by the way. You're all three," Draco said, his voice harsh with a tint of anger. "I already told you I hate it when you lie to me, so why? Huh? Tell me why you insist on pretending you're peachy when I know damn well you're not!"

Harry was shocked. Draco was genuinely angry with him... and not for being depressed to the point of being crazy, but for... lying? For trying to keep the mood up from what it had been before?

"I'm not -," he began, but Draco cut him off.

"Stop it! God dammit, Potter! I know you were crying! I know you're upset! Stop acting like the poster boy of the emotionally indifferent!" the youngest Malfoy exclaimed.

Harry was silent for a time. Then he frowned. Draco was breathing heavily. Even when Harry tried not to put his pressures on Draco, he was upsetting him.

"Why do you care so much, Draco?" Harry asked. His eyebrows knit together in a mixture of confusion and anger as to why Draco couldn't just accept the fact that Harry didn't want to focus on the depressing parts of what he was doing.

Draco laced his fingers together and held so tightly that Harry could almost see his veins. Draco turned from Harry and dropped his hands. He groaned out in anger, but it didn't seem entirely directed at Harry.

"Because, Potter! I want to help you with saving this person! I reeeaaally do! But-... but I don't," he explained, loudly and unhelpfully. "I don't want to help because a part of me doesn't want them to survive!"

Harry's eyes opened wide in shock. He gripped his cup tightly. What the hell was Draco saying? How could he be so cruel?!

"I don't want them to survive... because you love them," Draco ended, his voice drained back to a normal decibel and his tone losing anger. He turned back to face Harry, a pathetic look on his face.

Harry couldn't stop himself. He smacked his cup down on the counter, tea flying out. He pushed himself off the counter and onto the floor, standing as tall as he could, which was about an inch taller than Draco. He glared fiercely at the blonde, anger bubbling up from his sadness, his depression, and his surprise at Draco's callous words.

"Excuse me?" he growled. "Because I love them, they deserve to die? Is that it? Do you honestly hate the idea of me loving someone so much that they need to die?! God, if you hate me so much, Malfoy, why do you even bother being around me?!"

Draco took a half step back, shock on his features. Then he shook his head and closed the distance between himself and Harry in less than a second.

"No!" he exclaimed. He pressed Harry up against the counter and held onto the marble with one hand. His other hand grabbed the back of Harry's head and held it tight while lips crashed into lips in a desperate attempt to convey emotions.

Harry was stunned. His hands, poised ready to shove Draco away, hung in mid-air and shook. He wanted to cry again, but this time he didn't know why. He held them back, as he was doing with all the rest. His hands slowly fell back and held the counter for support. Draco pulled back from the forced kiss and stared Harry right in the eyes.

Harry saw fear there. Draco was scared because Harry hadn't responded. Harry couldn't respond. Then Draco took a shaky breath.

"I don't want them to exist, because I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Chapter 7 - The Trouble with Reasons
> 
> Harry let out a slow breath, relaxing. He knew there was a reason he'd told George about his interest in Draco; a reason he liked the red haired twin so much.
> 
> The bowls that had been on the counter, the pots and pans, the tea kettle, the tea bags, everything was on the floor. Harry lifted his feet and saw he was standing on the remnants of the cup he'd been drinking out of. The cushions of the sofa and chair in the livingroom were shredded in a similar fashion to how Draco had been sliced up in the bathroom during their sixth year at school. A deep gash ran for two feet along the wall near the middle of the hall.
> 
> Every beat of the brunette's heart was a struggle to stay in rhythm. Harry felt a moment of dizziness that passed as quickly as it had come. He tried to focus on Draco...


	7. The Trouble with Reasons

Harry hoped his face didn't show the pain he was feeling. It was like being ripped apart all over again. He shook his head and closed his eyes. He looked away from Draco, off to the side where his cup has splattered everywhere. He didn't say anything or move anymore until Draco finally stepped away.

"Harry?" he asked. Harry shook his head again.

"I can't," Harry murmured. "I can't tell you what I'm doing this for... or why I cried."

Draco's forehead creased in confusion and unease. Harry turned his gaze onto Draco, hoping his expression was as determined as he wanted it to be. He knew his eyes gave him away, if only Draco could decipher them.

"I can't return your love, Draco," Harry said. He was glad his voice hadn't betrayed him. His chest sure was. His hands were, but they were clenched so tightly on the counter that Harry was certain no one would be able to tell they were shaking.

Harry hated it. His whole body was reacting to these words. He wanted to tell Draco how he felt and hold onto him.... maybe even cry as he explained everything, but that wasn't what he was going to do. No. Harry was going to pretend he didn't love Draco with every fiber of his being. He was going to save Draco first... then he'd worry about his aching heart.

For if he told Draco how he felt now, Draco would know he was going to die. Harry had already admitted to loving the person who died... he couldn't reveal he loved Draco now. Then Draco...

'Terrible things have happened to people who meddle with time.'

Hadn't Hermione said that? Well Harry couldn't imagine anything worse than the pain in his chest right now, but he wouldn't test the boundaries of a time-turner.

Draco's expression stabbed at Harry. Every beat of the brunette's heart was a struggle to stay in rhythm. Harry felt a moment of dizziness that passed as quickly as it had come. He focused on Draco... He looked hurt. No. He looked distraught behind his straining mask of indifference.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, lowering his head. He heard Draco back up another step. "I.... I have to go. I'll be back."

And without another word, Harry apparated to someone he knew would understand, leaving Draco alone in his house.

– – – – – –

Harry shivered in the fierce breeze. He'd left his cloaks at Draco's, the invisibility cloak and his normal one. The once so familiar building he was watching now seemed to creak in unease. It was a joke shop... but Harry was in no mood for laughing. Still, he had to summon up the courage to go inside. If he didn't, he'd either freeze to death or run back to Draco and ruin everything.

He apparated to the doorstep, not wanting to been seen as he crossed the road. The bell above the door jingled when he walked in. However, it was no ordinary jingle. It was more like three voices trying to make jingling noises. Harry recognized the voices as Fred, George, and Ron. Almost as soon as the voices stopped, George appeared at the front desk.

"Welcome to -... Harry? I thought you were in Germany," he said in shock. Harry nodded.

"I am...," he murmured. "But I needed to talk to you, so I chanced it."

Harry walked up to the counter and set his hand down gently. A metal meets wood sound came from his hand. George looked down as Harry pulled his hand back. There sat a time-turner. George's eyes widened in realization. He waved his hand at the door and the sign turned from open to closed. The locks clicked and the curtains were pulled shut.

"Follow me," George ordered, turning and walking to the back. Harry grabbed his time-turner and walked behind the counter to obey.

George led him upstairs to his home. There, he pulled out a basket of bread and two glasses which magically filled themselves with pumpkin juice. Harry would guess the bread tasted as fresh as if it had just been pulled from the oven. He kept quiet until George sat down at the kitchen table and motion for him to sit as well.

"So why are you using my time-turner?" George asked. "Did you take it from me or did I give it to you?"

"You gave it to me... borrowing, I think. You told me to only use it if I saw no other option. At the time, I really didn't," Harry admitted.

"And now?" George asked. Harry looked George in the eye and smiled, albeit a bit sadly.

"No. I don't think there was any other way," Harry said.

George nodded. He took a deep breath and handed Harry a piece of bread. He waited till Harry had taken a bite and then sipped at his juice. Then George nodded again and leaned his body toward Harry across the table.

"So what happened?" he asked. Harry could see the devious mind of a Weasley twin at work. He couldn't help but smile in return. Then he remembered why he was here and frowned. George stopped smiling as well.

"Well.... Draco... Draco was killed by the dragon at Gringotts," Harry explained.

George went silent. Harry shifted under his gaze. The Weasley twin leaned back in his chair and watched Harry for some time. Then he sighed and nodded.

"Yeah... I can imagine what I probably said to you... So what happened to make you need to risk exposure to see me?" George asked.

Harry let out a slow breath, relaxing. He knew there was a reason he'd told George about his interest in Draco; a reason he liked the red haired twin so much. So Harry began to talk. He explained everything from being told Draco was dead, to what George had told him - which George nodded to -, all the way through his half a day of shadowing Draco and up until he'd left Draco's house.

"So you left," George said to clarify.

"Yeah. I didn't know what else to do. I was going to break down if I didn't get away," Harry explained pathetically. "Should I have... done something different?"

"Yeah!" George exclaimed. "Harry, I know how much you must reeeaally not want to mess things up, but if you don't do something, Draco will avoid you all the way up to his death. He confessed his love to you, and you told him no. I'll be surprised if he lets you back in the house."

"You don't think he'd be that angry with me, do you?" Harry asked.

"You thought he'd be hunky dory with letting the man he loves follow him around after all that's happened?" George countered. Harry swallowed heavily.

"But-.... Wh-what should I do? I can't tell him how I feel! Then he'd know that he was going to die!" Harry whined.

"So? Let him know. The problem with all your reasons, Harry, is that they're keeping you from actually doing anything! If you want to make drastic changes, you have to live on the edge a little. I mean, I'm sure Fred would still be alive if I'd been brave enough to tell him what was going to happen at Hogwarts," George said.

Harry watched George curiously. The older twin didn't seem fazed at all by the words he'd let slip. He just watched Harry, patiently waiting for the questions to start.

"You... tried to go back and save Fred?" Harry asked. George smiled and shook his head.

"No. Not technically. See... Shortly after returning home, to this joke shop, after the Battle at Hogwarts, I found a letter addressed to me on my own pillow. At first I was suspicious, but there were no magical charms or curses upon it... so I opened it," George explained.

"The letter was written in my own handwriting, addressed to me and from me. It told me that after the battle, I was so distraught that I got myself a time turner and went back to save Fred. However, in the effort not to expose myself to... myself, I never got the chance to warn Fred... because Fred and I were always together, you know? There were no opportunities to talk to Fred alone, so Fred was never warned... no one was, and Fred died.

"The letter ended with a note to myself saying not to use the time-turner, no matter what. No matter how bad I felt about his death, I was never to try and change it, because -," and here, Harry joined in. "- seeing him die twice wont make it any better."

"Yeah," George said, nodding. "So I didn't. So in a way... I did use it, and I didn't. I have a three page long letter detailing 'my' exploits into trying to change the past to prove I did it.... and that in the end, nothing changed. So I'm learning to live with it... because... well," and George stopped.

Harry smiled sadly. "Because the tears never stop... right? The sadness never goes away."

George nodded, frowning at the bread. Silence covered them, a sort of understanding, empathetic silence. Harry shook his head. He took a deep breath, pushed away from the table, and stood up. George looked up, slightly startled by the movement that shattered the silence.

"No. I'm not going to let him die, George... I know how time-turners work. I've used them before. But this time will be different. He's going to go on living, even if I have to kill myself to make it happen," Harry declared.

A wave of dizziness shrouded his vision for a moment. He didn't stumble or fall, but he did shake. Then it was gone. George stood up and walked around the table to Harry. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I'd offer my help if it would matter... but I don't think I'd be able to do anything of worth," he admitted. "So... I'll just say 'good luck', and I hope it works out. If you do manage to save him... give me a sign, okay?"

"Why?" Harry asked. He was almost at eye level with the red head, which made it easy to read the desire written in those ever changing orbs. George really wanted to be told if it worked... but the answer of why couldn't be found by just looking into someone's eyes.

"Just so I know... that there's always hope, you know? That things aren't always pointless. But you should go home to Draco. I'm sure he's killing himself over this," George joked.

Harry's eyes widened. "You don't think he'd actually kill himself because I rejected him, do you?!" he asked.

George went to automatically answer 'no', but stopped. Then he smiled unsurely.

"I suggest you go now," he said. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He was already gone.

– – – –

When Harry got back to Draco's kitchen, he didn't really expect to see the blonde standing where he'd left him. It had been almost an hour. Draco should be at work, but if Draco got so depressed as to kill himself, Harry highly doubted it would happen at work.... at least not until tomorrow.

However, Harry had also not expected to see what he did find. The kitchen was in shambles. It looked like a troll had attacked while he was away. The bowls that had been on the counter, the pots and pans, the tea kettle, the tea bags, everything was on the floor. Harry lifted his feet and saw he was standing on the remnants of the cup he'd been drinking out of before he left.

"Draco?!" he called. No response.

Harry's heart sped up. He hurried out of the kitchen and froze again. More destruction. The cushions of the sofa and chair in the livingroom were shredded in a similar fashion to how Draco had been sliced up in the bathroom during their sixth year at school. When had Draco learned how to do that spell? Harry shook his head and ran down the hall. A deep gash ran for two feet along the wall near the middle of the hall. Harry ran his hand along it as he went.

Draco's room was the least destroyed. The sheets and pillows were throw around. The chair Harry had sat in was in pieces, but it was the only thing utterly destroyed. The bed was easily fixed. Harry's throat tightened. What about....?

He turned to the other side of the hall and saw the handle to the picture room had been ripped off. Hesitantly, Harry pushed open the door. Draco wouldn't...... would he? The room was lit up already and paper was all over the floor. But as Harry entered the room, he was relieved to find none of the pictures had been hurt or removed from the wall. The paper had come off the desk and table in the room.

"Draco?!" he called again.

"Master Harry?" a familiar soft voice asked. Harry turned around and saw Polly standing there, her arm in a makeshift sling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Preview: Chapter 8 - The Final Decision
> 
> No no no no no! Harry couldn't believe this was happening. Time turners weren't supposed to work like this!
> 
> "No!" Harry yelled in aggravation, shoving Draco up against the cold, rock wall. "You'll die!"
> 
> "Stop lying to me!" Draco yelled. Harry's hands shook and faltered in holding Draco to the wall. He couldn't breathe properly.
> 
> "What's wrong?" it sounded far away. Everything sounded far away. The dripping water in the tunnels, the roaring angry dragon, Draco trying to help him... It was all so soft. The world went dark, like a movie fading away to another scene.
> 
> "I don't want you to die."


	8. The Final Decision

"Polly! What happened?" he asked, dropping down to her level.

"Master Draco.... after you left, he went through the house and tore everything up. Polly tried to stop him, but he was too fast and Polly could never hurt the Master. He said you weren't ever coming back, but Polly just couldn't believe him... and you did come back!" Polly exclaimed, sounding like Winky for the first time.

Tears were leaking from her eyes and she flung herself at Harry. She clung to his shirt as best she could with one arm.

"And... how did Polly get hurt?" Harry asked softly, holding onto her small form.

"When the Master turned to enter the treasure room... Polly stopped him. Polly told him not to do it... that he would regret it. He told Polly she didn't know what she was talking about and forced her out of the way. That's when Polly hit the door and broke the handle... and her arm. The master stopped when the door opened... he started crying. He couldn't even see where he was going! He ran to Mr. Potter's wall and grabbed the pictures.....," Polly stopped, pointing toward the pictures of Harry.

Then she pressed her finger to Harry's forehead. Harry gasped. Suddenly he could see Draco, clutching the pictures on the wall. He saw Draco's tears. It was as if Harry was seeing this firsthand.. It was so real. Draco let go of the pictures and dropped to the floor.

'Why!?' he heard Draco growl out loudly in anger... anger at himself. 'Why can't I do it!?'

'Damn you!' Draco continued, forcing himself to his feet and running to the desk. He collapsed against it. Then he flung his arms across it's surface, knocking down everything onto the floor. Then he did the same to the table.

Harry gasped again as the vision left him. No! What happened?! Where had Draco gone after that?! He looked down at Polly in his arms. She was still crying those huge house elf tears.

"Master... went to work early.... said he needed to... lose himself... to keep busy," she explained, voice even quieter. Harry's heart sped up.

"Polly? Are you okay? How can I help?" he asked, standing up while holding her. Her eyes fluttered shut. "Polly?!"

"Mr... Potter.... is so kind. Polly is sure Master Draco will... notice how he feels," the house elf murmured. Harry began to panic. She wasn't listening to him!

Harry rushed to the livingroom and grabbed his invisibility cloak off the floor. He flung it over both of them and quickly left the house.

– – – – – – – –

Harry walked into the auror's office, his heart rate accelerating. He was scared... He'd managed to get the nurses at Saint Mungo's to take Polly in despite her being a house elf, but now he had to find Draco. He had to find him and explain himself before the dumb blonde got himself in trouble.

Harry swung around the corner and into Draco's cubicle. Nothing. No one. Just as Harry was about to curse the high heavens, Percy Weasley walked past.

"Afternoon, Harry," he greeted, heading for the lift.

"Afternoon Perc-... Percy!" Harry exclaimed, grabbing onto the Weasley's arm. "Do you know where Draco Malfoy is?"

Percy took the time to blink nineteen times before he remembered the answer... or possibly remembered to answer at all. He nodded and Harry relaxed his grip on the man's arm.

"Yeah. He came in twenty minutes early and got himself sent out on a job," Percy explained.

"What job?" Harry asked. His heart would burst if it went any faster. Was it possible that by rejecting Draco, he'd sped up the chain of events?

"Some Gringotts case, I think. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the dragon at Gringotts, yeah," Percy said, nodding.

"No way!" Harry cursed, dropping Percy's arm and rushing for the lift. His cloak was over his shoulder, but he didn't care if anyone saw him. Draco was heading toward his death!

No no no no no! Harry couldn't believe this was happening. Time turners weren't supposed to work like this! He had to get to Gringotts and stop Draco before it was too late! Let some other wizard... let some other auror die!

As soon as he was able, Harry left the ministry of magic and got himself over to Diagon Alley. It was impossible to apparate straight into the bank. It wouldn't be a very safe bank if you could. Harry rushed down the cobblestone streets, taking no notice of the people he ran into, though most moved before he could.

As he ran up the stairs to the bank, he heard someone call his name. He stumbled to a stop. When he turned around, Hagrid was walking toward him. He waved his hand and said something, but Harry wasn't listening.

He turned and ran into the bank, ignoring Hagrid's surprised and confused shout. Harry didn't look at any of the goblins save for the one sitting behind the large main desk. He grasped the desk tightly and took a few deep breaths of air.

"Excuse me, is the auror to settle your dragon issue here yet?" he asked.

"Of course he's here," the old goblin growled out. "They're always here on time."

"Could you please point me in the direction I might find him in?" Harry asked, impatiently bouncing on the balls of his feet.

The goblin scrutinized him severely, probably wondering just what he was up to. Harry continued to bounce. He didn't have time for this! If the goblin wasn't going to tell him, then he'd just find out which tunnel was right on his own!

"That way," the goblin finally spoke, pointing to his left. Harry nodded.

"Thank you!" he called as he hurried off.

There was no cart here waiting. There was no goblin with him. Harry went down the tunnel on foot, running faster than he could ever remember running before. After some time, Harry began to recognize the tunnel. He'd been in here with Ron and Hermione... however, the Lestrange vault was not the only vault down here, and Harry could hear the sound of dragons coming from several tunnels nearby.

He stopped for a moment. He tried to hear which dragon sounded the most... out of control. He didn't wait long. It took only a moment before the sound of a screeching dragon and flames caught his attention. Harry made his way toward the sound, looking for Draco the entire time.

He passed a goblin on the way. The creature paid him little mind, probably suspecting that even if Harry were a robber, going toward a dangerous, out of control dragon would take care of him. Then Harry saw what he was looking for.

"Draco!" he called out.

The blonde wizard stopped in his tracks and turned back to Harry. He seemed shocked at first, and then he glared.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" he asked. "I'm working. Get out."

"No! Draco, don't go!" Harry exclaimed, running into Draco and holding onto his shoulders. "You're not going down there!"

"Yes I am! It's my job!" Draco growled, trying to shake Harry off and continue towards the dragon.

"No!" Harry yelled in aggravation, shoving Draco up against the cold, rock wall. "You'll die!"

Draco opened his mouth to retaliate, then closed it. He seemed to link something in his mind. Then he narrowed his eyes. He gripped Harry's shoulder and shoved against him.

"You lying rat! You don't know that," he growled. Harry shook his head and leaned it against Draco's shoulder.

"Yes... Yes I do!... Draco-! You're the one I came back to save! Please believe me! I wont let you go to die!" Harry pleaded.

"See! That's why you're lying! Your person doesn't die till tomorrow! Plus! You said you loved the person who died more than anyone else ever! You've already told me you didn't return my feelings! So stop lying to me!" Draco yelled.

It was a good thing there were miles of tunnels under here and that people usually flew through them so fast they couldn't see or hear anything, otherwise everyone would notice this argument. Harry felt his body go weak with fatigue... more so than the fatigue it took to get him down here. His hands shook and faltered in holding Draco to the wall.

"No I....," Harry tried, finding it hard to get breath. "I lied!.... Draco, I lied!" he said, beginning to sob without tears. "I didn't think you should know about your death.... I thought... it would mess everything up... so I lied and told you I didn't love you.... so you wouldn't... know it was you... and I-...ah..."

Harry's legs gave out. He fell to the ground and barely caught himself in time not to smash his face. His whole body felt weak. He didn't understand.... Why now? He had to tell Draco everything and his body was giving out! Why? What was wrong with him?

"Harry?!" Draco's voice was in his ear, sounding worried. Oh...What a lovely sound. Draco had used his first name again. "What's wrong?" it sounded far away. Everything sounded far away. The dripping water in the tunnels, the roaring angry dragon, Draco trying to help him... It was all so soft. The world went dark, like a movie fading away to another scene.

Then all noise returned full force, but only half his energy seemed to flow back into him. He could see again. Harry pushed himself up to a half sitting position. Had he fainted or was it like one of his dizzy spells? How long had it lasted?

"What happened?" Draco asked. He tried to make eye contact with Harry, and Harry pulled him down for a kiss.

Draco didn't respond at first. Harry pulled back but didn't take the time to look at Draco. He kissed him again. Draco's eyes shut and he returned the kiss. Then Harry pulled back and looked away. He couldn't breathe properly.

"Sorry.... Gods, I'm dying, aren't I?" he groaned. Draco grabbed tightly to Harry's shirt and made him look forward.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked. His features were torn between anger and concern. He ripped Harry to his feet. "You confess your love to me, kiss me a couple times, and then say you're dying? What the bloody hell is that?"

"So you believe me?" Harry asked, a smile creeping onto his face. Draco's expression faltered. Then he blushed lightly.

"Yeah... I guess I do. I mean... It sort of makes sense. You came back to save someone and just happened to decide to follow me around for a couple days? I'm surprised I didn't think of it earlier. And I suppose that answers the question of why you'd invite me to the beach too," the Malfoy heir thought aloud. "But that's not the point. Why in the hell would you be dying?!"

"Because I'm saving your life," Harry explained.

Draco watched Harry's eyes. They burned with confidence and shimmered in the light of a nearby torch. Draco didn't follow... that was the point wasn't it? To save Draco's life?

"I don't get it. That was your whole reason for coming back, wasn't it?" Draco asked. "Why would you be dying? You're not even hurt!" Harry heard the way Draco's voice rose an octave. He was scared.

Harry realized... he was scared too. Yet somehow he was filled with confidence and clarity. It was similar to the feeling he'd gotten when he finally decided to face Voldemort.

"You said it yourself, Draco. Time-turners... I mean, I should just be doing the same things that already happened... which means you would be dying soon... tomorrow, actually. But I've changed things. Every time I declared that I'd save you,... I didn't know it then, but I faded out for a minute. Like how my hands got cold after our fight this morning... or how I got dizzy twice after similar declarations....," Harry said.

To help as an example, Harry put his hand on Draco's face. From Draco's response, he knew he'd been right. He was probably ice cold.

"You know...," Harry murmured, his eyes filling with tears that weren't falling. "I know I told George I'd save you... even if it meant dying myself... but I didn't think it would actually come to that."

"Stop it, Harry!" Draco snapped. He lifted Harry off the floor and helped him stand. "Stop talking like you're already dead. You're still here!"

"But once you don't die... Luna wont come to tell me about your death, George wont give me the time-turner, and I wont come back to save you... It'll be as if it never happened, and I'll vanish... or I hope I'll vanish. It would be hard to explain a dead body that looks just like —," Harry's sentence was cut off.

Draco smashed their lips together. Then he pushed Harry against the wall and kissed him three more times. Harry didn't know what had made Draco do it, but he wasn't arguing. Draco pulled back and looked Harry in the eyes. Harry saw fear there. Draco was afraid this time because Harry responded. Harry was real and physical, but Harry could hardly breathe. He hardly had the strength to return those kisses. Every minute that passed without Draco facing that dragon and dying was another minute causing Harry problems. Draco could tell, couldn't he? That's why he was afraid.

"I don't want you to die," Draco breathed out in a moment where the dragon made no noise. It was almost as if it knew what was going on.

"I'm not," Harry replied with a smile. "There's another Harry... sitting in a bank in Germany... thinking about you even as we speak. Soon he'll be yelling at a goblin. Tomorrow he'll write an early morning report and will be back at work by lunch. That's the Harry you should be worried about."

Draco grit his teeth together. He couldn't argue. Harry was right. The original Harry was still alive and well. He had no idea about what was going on down here in these vault shafts. He had no idea what kind of danger Draco might be in... but he loved Draco just as fiercely as the Harry Draco had pinned to the wall, because he was one and the same.

Harry felt his chest contract. His heart jumped over a beat where it should have pumped. His body felt clammy to himself. He wondered how it felt to Draco. Was it cold like a corpse? Did he look as faint and weak as he felt?

"Polly," Harry began, pausing to take a deep breath. "She's at Saint Mungo's. You should go see her once I'm gone.... and George... You have to tell him I saved you. And I did save you, Draco. If I vanish, that means I saved you. You can't go throw your life away after that. If I reappear, I'll use this time-turner to come back and kick your ass."

Draco couldn't help but snicker despite the topic. He gripped Harry's shirt tightly. He didn't want to say goodbye... but he knew that if he said that, Harry would just tell him he didn't have to... because the real Harry wasn't going anywhere.

"And Draco," Harry's voice spoke up, soft as it was.

"Yeah?"

"When I get home tomorrow... Give me a kiss, and I want to hear you say you love me," Harry said.

"Y-yeah... Sure thing," Draco complied. He nodded slowly. "Harry-..."

"Yeah?"

"You're see-through," Draco said. The blonde bit back the tears as Harry had done so many times this last day. Harry smiled.

"Yeah... I know....I know, cause it feels like I'm air," Harry murmured.

"Harry, where do time-turner users go when things like this happen?" Draco asked, his fear so thick in his voice one might think Draco was vanishing and not Harry. The brunette shrugged.

"I don't know. I think I'd like to become part of myself... you know, rejoin my own soul, or some nonsense like that," Harry said.

"Yeah... You do that," Draco nodded.

"Draco... go take care of the dragon... but be extremely careful. Don't get to close. I can't entirely vanish until you finish the job and come back alive," Harry pointed out. Draco nodded again, a single tear slipping out of his eyes.

"Yeah.... I know," he said. He also knew that every moment he wasted was another moment Harry was in pain. Then Draco leaned forward and gave Harry another, softer kiss. "I love you. Wherever you go after this, just remember that... okay?"

"Deal," Harry agreed.

Draco let go of Harry's shirt and turned away. He pulled out the clanker(1) his goblin escort had given him. As he walked away from Harry and toward the dragon, he began to shake it. It made a terrible racket, but the dragon didn't respond to it. Harry slid down the wall. The noise of the clanker got louder despite Draco getting farther away.... He must have put a spell on it... or something.

Harry closed his eyes. Yeah. It really felt like he was just becoming air... like he was flying without a broomstick. He wished Draco could feel this too... just for a moment.... he wished.... and somewhere in Germany, Harry Potter cried a single tear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) A number of small metal instruments, which when shaken make a loud, ringing noise like tiny hammers on anvils. This was explained as being used by the goblins to make their dragons run out of the way when they take wizards to their high security vaults. It's mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: chapter 26.
> 
> Preview: Chapter 9 - The End
> 
> Harry wondered how he should greet Draco when he got to work. 'Hey there, fluffy. You didn't chew up the furniture while I was away, did you?' Harry snickered to himself. Draco's hair really did look better un-gelled... but that greeting might get him more than just a headache.
> 
> Even the Harry who had come back in time hadn't said it. He'd admitted to lying about NOT loving Draco, but he'd never told Draco 'I love you'. The Harry who had come back to save him had not kissed him like this, had not shown this much passion towards Draco.
> 
> Draco understood the why's... but he still wanted to hear Harry say it.
> 
> "I was trying everything I could to make you see me as strong, powerful, talented, amazing. I was trying so hard to win your approval, but everything I did only made you hate me more - or.. so I thought. I hated myself for how I was acting, but I couldn't stop. It was the only way I knew to get you to look at me."


	9. The End

Harry leaned against the back of the lift as it carried him down to the second floor of the ministry. He never did understand why the main floor was half way up the place. Shouldn't the floor every door and fireplace opens to be the first floor... not the seventh?

Anyway, Harry hummed a bit. He couldn't wait to get back into the office. He hadn't seen Draco in three days. Despite telling Draco that the blonde would survive three short days without him, Harry had been the one missing the young Malfoy... with a burning passion.

He wondered how he should greet Draco when he got to work. 'Hey there, fluffy. You didn't chew up the furniture while I was away, did you?' Harry snickered to himself. Draco's hair really did look better un-gelled... but that greeting might get him more than just a headache.

The lift opened onto the auror department, and Harry stepped off. He was hardly four feet from it when Neville Longbottom passed him.

"Welcome back, Harry! Oh thank goodness you're here!" he nearly sighed out.

"Yeah.. Hi. Neville, what's wrong?" Harry asked, stopping the man from getting to the lift before it left.

"It's Malfoy... He's been acting weird ever since you left. The first day, he actually waved at me when I greeted him. Then he came in madder than an insulted Hippogriff a few hours later. Then he came back to work, and I swear he'd just been crying! I've never been this confused, even over a girl. Today, though, he's starting out antsy. He wont stop pacing between your cubicles," Neville explained.

"Alright. Thanks, Neville. I'll take care of it," Harry assured, patting his friend on the back.

"Okay. See you next Friday, yeah?" Neville asked. Harry nodded. Oh right. Next Friday was Neville's wedding, his marriage to Ginny, wasn't it? Harry had nearly forgotten. He still needed to get them a gift.

"Without a doubt," Harry assured him. Then Neville headed for the lift, and Harry prepared himself. Who knew what was making Draco go through such weird mood swings? Then the brunette walked forward and around the corner of the cubicles.

There was Draco Malfoy, pacing in one cube, vanishing from sight, then walking across the small hall into Harry's cube and vanishing again. Repeat. When Harry had seen this happen twice, he couldn't help but snicker. Draco stopped walking and stared at Harry with a mixture between shock and some kind of heartbroken sort of sadness.

"Sorry. I heard you were acting a bit out of character. You need to talk?" Harry asked. Draco stood in the center of the aisle for a moment and then let out a long breath.

"Yeah... Yeah, I need to talk," he admitted. He nodded his head and beckoned Harry into his cubicle. Draco walked to the side of the cubicle that would be harder to see from the opening.

"Neville said you looked upset when you came in," Harry began.

Draco nodded. He paced in a small circle and then turned on Harry. He seemed to want to say something. Then he pulled back into his circle. The second time he stopped, he rushed to stand right up against Harry. He pulled Harry close to him by holding onto his cloak. Then he pressed their lips together.

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He pressed back against Draco's lips until he was pushing the man back as well. Then Harry slid his tongue into Draco's mouth effortlessly. Draco felt his back gently press up against the wall of his cube, and his smile was evident. The quiet sounds of their breathing and making out thankfully attracted no spectators... thank god, indeed. Harry raised a hand to hold Draco's cheek. Then he broke the kiss and searched Draco's face for some answer to how this had all happened. How had Draco decided to kiss Harry so confidently, as though he knew Harry would accept him? Harry hadn't done anything obvious... had he?

"Draco?" Harry asked, voice breathlessly soft.

"You wouldn't believe the day I had, Potter," Draco sighed, leaning his face against Harry's hand. Oh, the warmth. It was a normal hand, not one ice cold with death.

"Oh?" Harry asked, a little laugh in his voice. Draco nodded. He placed his hand over Harry's on his cheek.

"Harry," he whispered, looking up into Harry's bright, green eyes. "I love you."

Harry's heart skipped a beat. Even Draco could tell how those words effected a Harry Potter not tarnished by Draco Malfoy's death. Harry felt like air... like he was flying without a broom. He smiled the most brilliant smile Draco had ever seen.

"Really?" Harry asked. Draco nodded.

"And don't worry.... I'll explain everything. Just... kiss me now, and we'll worry about the rest later," Draco ordered, still keeping his voice down.

Harry smiled. He stroked Draco's cheek with his thumb and leaned down to reclaim his lips. What a beautiful day for the expressing feelings. Draco turned his head to the side, attempting to stop the kissing for a moment, but Harry started kissing down his neck and whatever wasn't covered by Draco's shirt.

"H-Harry," Draco panted out. He hadn't meant to say it like that, but it certainly caught Harry's attention. The brunette paused his assault on the Malfoy heir's creamy skin. "Tell me how you feel," Draco ordered, gripping Harry's shoulder.

Even the Harry who had come back in time hadn't said it. He'd admitted to lying about NOT loving Draco, but he'd never told Draco 'I love you'. The Harry who had come back to save him had not kissed him like this, had not shown this much passion towards Draco. Then again, that Harry had been distraught with one death too many, with trying to focus on saving the person he loved, while attempting not to ruin everything with overbearing feelings.

Draco understood the why's... but he still wanted to hear Harry say it.

"I love you." Right by his ear, whispered in the most loving fashion Draco could have imagined, Harry's voice complied with Draco's order, with his thoughts. "I've loved you for so long, I can't even remember what started it."

"Yeah," Draco agreed. "Same here... only I know when the crush began. I don't know when it turned to love... but when you, someone new to the wizarding world, blew me off... that was when."

Harry pulled back a bit. Draco saw the confusion in his eyes.

"I know. It doesn't make much sense to you, does it? But it was obvious I was from an important wizarding family, yet you pushed me away like common trash. I had never seen anyone give me such a determined look, a look of defiance. No one but my parents had ever opposed me so openly. I found myself filled with fire about it all. At first I thought I hated you for it. I mean, how dare you, of all people, treat me like an inferior? Then, as I teased you, ragged on you, insulted you, incriminated you... I began to realize... I was craving for your attention.

"I was trying everything I could to make you see me as strong, powerful, talented, amazing. I was trying so hard to win your approval, but everything I did only made you hate me more - or.. so I thought," here Draco paused to smile and run his finger down Harry's cheek.

"I hated myself for how I was acting, but I couldn't stop. It was the only way I knew to get you to look at me. After our first year, I was already okay with you just looking at me, whether it was during one of my attempts to make you admire me or not. Name calling, accusations, trickery, even laughing obnoxiously loud... anything at all to get you to look in my direction... I never would have guessed you liked me too. I always just figured it was your pride and loyalty to your friends that made you react so easily," Draco admitted.

Harry smiled. He leaned in and kissed Draco softly.

"You know... it makes me feel better... knowing all that. Now I don't feel like I was such an idiot for crushing on you and pining over you for so many years," Harry said and laughed.

Harry leaned in again to capture Draco's lips. However, a soft knock on the wall outside the cubicle caught both their attentions and they separated quickly... not that Draco could make it far. He was against a wall. Still, he acted like he'd been merely leaning casually against it.

"Didn't want to interrupt anything. Thought knocking was the best idea, you know?" a familiar voice called. Draco's heart sped for a moment as he remembered the other Harry's last requests.

"George?" Harry asked, a smile on his face. The red head walked into view and then into the cubicle. He ruffled Harry's hair, but Draco could tell George was trying to figure out which Harry this was.

"He's the original, Weasley... the other one is gone. He saved me... He wanted me to tell you that," Draco said.

"Oh, did he? Congratulations. And I see he got to explain himself as well... Congratulations again," George said, motioning between Draco and Harry to insinuate they were a couple. Draco smiled. Harry was confused.

"Anyone mind explaining? What did I miss when I was in Germany?" Harry asked, slightly annoyed that he didn't follow this conversations. George grinned like he knew a terrible joke.

Draco walked over to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I died," he said. Harry's expressions was concerned and confused. Was he looking at a ghost then? Draco didn't seem see-through or ghost-like to him, but maybe it was a spell?

The blonde and the red head exchanged looks of understanding. Then they sat Harry down in the chair the other one had used to stare at Draco for hours. The story began, with each one telling the bits they knew until they had a complete story and time line.

George was silent while Draco recapped the events at his house, like Harry crying and how he, himself, had torn up everything he could get his hands on after Harry had rejected him. Then Draco was sitting in a heart-pounding mute state as George told of Harry's talk with him. The description of Harry shaking made him want to hold onto the Harry sitting in front of him. Then George told the story of how he tried to save Fred again, since neither of the people listening had heard it yet... technically.

Then two barely breathed during Draco's soft and sad explanation of how he'd walked toward the dragon, fully prepared to take his anger out on it... perhaps, just maybe, he'd had some sort of a suicidal thought in his mind. He'd picked the most dangerous job on the wall, after all. But then... out of nowhere, panting, sweating,... dying.. Harry had come out of nowhere and stopped him from continuing. Harry's begging confession...

"Then he fell on the ground... slipped right down my robes. I thought you'd died. He wasn't moving, and I didn't move to help him at first. I thought he was toying with me. Then, after a minute, I got worried. I knelt by him and shook him, but he didn't respond. I really started to panic. I thought my stupidity had caused you to run until your heart burst!" Draco explained. "Then I called out your name, and he finally opened his eyes again. I was so relieved, but you know I don't show that very well."

The story followed Harry struggling to survive and explain everything to Draco. Draco toned down how much he'd wanted to cry, but did not leave out how much it hurt to think of leaving Harry there to die. The only consolation he got was from knowing there was another Harry out there somewhere, just like Harry had said to him. Draco summed up his defeat of the dragon by multiplying the clanker and catching the dragon behind the ear with a stunning charm while it shied away in fear of the clankers. That part wasn't important.

"This morning I couldn't sit still. You saw me pacing, right? If you hadn't shown up, I was going to... I don't know. Maybe it would have been my turn to use a time-turner," Draco finished with a half hearted shrug.

Silence ruled for almost five minutes before Harry finally broke it. He had listened quietly through the whole tale, no interruptions, no questions at all. It seemed now he had something to contribute.

"I don't know what to say... but today makes a little more sense now. I almost can't believe I did all that, but I believe almost anything these days. Magic truly is amazing... and I have no doubts I would react like that... I almost wonder what I would have done if you hadn't given me the time-turner," the brunette thought aloud.

"Harry, don't even go there," Draco warned critically. He advanced a step towards the man he loved. Harry held his hands up in defense. Draco stopped moving, and Harry stood up. He took Draco's hand in one of his own and put his free hand on George's shoulder.

"I'm just saying it could've been a lot worse," he explained in his defense.

"Yeah. Then I would've been lost for two costumers, mum would've had two less mouths to feed, and the department would be left wanting for two of the best aurors in the business. Not to mention we'd been losing our next minister of magic," George joked to lighten to mood, a small but joking smile on his face.

Harry laughed and that's what really alleviated the tense atmosphere. Draco smiled, and George's became large and more befitting of a Weasley twin.

"I don't think I will ever be Minister of Magic, but thanks," Harry said after he finished laughing.

"Uh, well I don't know. I think you'd make a fine replacement someday. You know the minister doesn't have a set time in office. Maybe we'll kick Kingsley out after another twenty years and you'll think differently," Draco mused. Then he elbowed Harry in the side. "Assuming you aren't too stressed and useless from doing your real job by then."

"My real job?" Harry asked suspiciously, almost worriedly. Draco smirked, as did George. He had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Keeping me happy, of course. A Malfoy only settles for the very best, you know," Draco announced. George snickered. Harry did too.

"I'll try my best, Draco. Honest to goodness, I will," Harry swore with a chuckle. And Draco believed him... after all, he'd risked everything to save Draco's life with a time-turner. Harry had battled dragons, death eaters, and taken down Lord Voldemort himself. There was probably nothing he couldn't do. The best thing, though, was that Harry was a damn good kisser and loved Draco - maybe almost as much as Draco loved him.

"Draco," Harry inquired after this moment of internal reflection.

"Hm?" the blonde asked, leaning his head onto Harry's shoulder.

"You have a room covered in pictures of me?"

Oops. Maybe he should have left that bit of stalker-ish information out of the story.

The End


End file.
